Of Cliches and Truffles
by Boogum
Summary: In which Draco Malfoy makes a terrible mistake, Ginny Weasley tries to help him, truffles are consumed, and Valentine's Day is properly celebrated.


This was written for my own challenge at _The DG Forum_. The rules were that it must be Draco/Ginny, and must somehow be based on or include Valentine's Day. Bonus points if the line "This is my happy face" is somehow featured.

**Of Clichés and Truffles**

Draco Malfoy had not always hated Valentine's Day. In fact, he'd felt quite at peace with the holiday until that fateful day one year ago when he had asked Astoria Greengrass to marry him during their Valentine's dinner. It had been a spur of the moment action, for while he had indeed been hopelessly in love with the brunette opposite him, and while he had been well aware of the velvet box weighing down his pocket, he actually hadn't been intending to ask her to marry him that night. However, since Astoria was looking quite stunningly beautiful, and since he had been feeling more than a little reckless from the wine he had consumed, he had decided that tonight was as good as any.

In what he now blamed was a distempered freak (but which at the time he had thought quite ingenious of himself), Draco had waited for Astoria to go do whatever it was she did in the women's bathroom – she certainly didn't go toilet – and then he had called the waiter over and handed the velvet box to the man with the instructions that he wanted the ring to be put in a truffle for his girlfriend. The waiter, well used to such requests, went off to the kitchens to let the chef prepare the dessert, and Draco had quietly congratulated himself for his quick-thinking, already smiling at the thought of Astoria's expression when she found the ring.

Unfortunately, his lady love had not quite behaved in the way he had hoped.

You see, while Draco was feeling very romantic and impulsive in formulating his plan, he had forgot one crucial thing: Astoria hated clichés. She despised them as much as she despised rainy days and listening to Quidditch fanatics discuss their favourite sport. It was therefore no surprise that when she eventually bit into the truffle and almost choked on the ring, she was anything but pleased. That her boyfriend should ask her to marry him on Valentine's Day was a crime she found difficult to forgive, but that he should have the effrontery, the sheer nerve to propose to her via a dessert was simply unpardonable.

Needless to say, Astoria had refused his offer of marriage, and in little more than a month the couple had broken up, their suddenly tense relationship unable to handle the further strain of the many arguments that had followed the failed proposal. Draco might have got over the mortification had he been left alone, but both he and Astoria were well-known public figures, and the media had pounced on the break-up like starving Pixies. Someone had even created a new kind of truffle in honour of the tragic proposal, which was aptly dubbed 'Death to a Romance'.

Draco had refused to be bothered by such open attempts to humiliate him, but it was difficult when Astoria was looking so achingly beautiful and out of reach, eating those stupid Death to a Romance truffles in what he knew was a blatant attempt to annoy him, and acting like he was some big bad villain because he had got upset with her for refusing to become his wife. He had only been trying to be romantic; he had certainly never meant for her to nearly swallow the damn ring, nor get so offended by his (she perceived) clichéd attempt to propose to her.

It was no wonder that he became bitter. So bitter, in fact, that when the next Valentine's Day came around, he had come to loathe the very idea of romance and all that it entailed. No more could he be called the King of Clichés, The Master of Romantic Disasters, or any of those other silly nicknames the media had bestowed upon him after his split with Astoria. It was a known fact that Draco Malfoy was a mean, cynical young man, who was well on his way to becoming a hardened misogynist. No woman would ever be able to touch his flint-like heart, or so _Witch Weekly_ mournfully claimed, and that was just the way he liked it.

Unfortunately for Draco, Ginny Weasley had decided to take him under her wing, and she was not in the least put-off by his (what she termed) unbecoming sulks.

"Come on, Draco," the redhead wheedled, taking the pint out of his hand, "you can't just keep moping around this stinky pub. It's Valentine's Day! You should be out falling in love, or buying flowers for a girl you like, or—"

"For the love of Merlin, Weasley, _please_ just go away!" Draco exclaimed, snatching the pint back from her. "You're like some evil clockwork, just going and going and never shutting up!"

Ginny grinned, seeming to take this as a compliment. "I just want to help you, Draco. You have no idea how utterly pathetic you look. I only want to see you happy again."

"This _is_ my happy face," Draco said bluntly. "And I'm very content with my life, so you can take your do-gooder self off and go be a monster to someone who actually _wants_ your help."

She sighed and rested her chin on her hands. "You know, I find it hard to believe you were once a romantic. To think that Astoria could have—"

"Don't you dare say that name!" Draco hissed.

Ginny gave him an innocent look. "What, _Astoria_?" Her eyes sparkled in a way that made him feel very uncomfortable. "Did you know that she's engaged?"

Draco clenched his hand into a fist on the table. "Yes, Weasley," he said with forced calm, "I am aware she is engaged."

"I've seen her fiancé. His name is Egbert; he's a gardener for the magical botanical gardens. Quite short and plain, too," she added, wrinkling her brow. "I don't know what Astoria sees in him."

Draco was about to say something cutting, when he paused. "Egbert?" he repeated, scrunching up his face. "She's going to marry someone named _Egbert_."

"Yes. Egbert the gardener."

He laughed, and kept on laughing until he actually began to look a bit cheerful. "Oh, that's classic. Of all the men she could go with, she goes with someone named Egbert – and he's a _gardener_."

"I thought it was a bit strange myself," Ginny mused, playing with her straw, and stared slyly up at him from underneath her lashes.

Draco ignored this interpolation, too busy wondering why Astoria would go with someone who was clearly the opposite of himself. He knew for a fact that he was the last person she had dated, which had been comforting to him over the past year, since he knew in his more honest moments that he had never really got over her. It made him feel like there was still hope that they might get together again; however, upon discovering that she was dating someone and then, just last week, that she had got engaged, he'd felt the world tumble out from under his feet and his heart had grown all the more hardened.

But if she was engaged to some ugly midget who worked with plants for a living, there might still be a chance. After all, what was Egbert the gardener compared to Draco Malfoy? The blond didn't even need to list his occupation; his name really did say it all.

Draco stared at the redhead opposite him. "You said you wanted to help me, right?"

"That's right," Ginny said offhandedly, still playing with her straw.

"Would you be willing to help me get Astoria back?"

Ginny's lips curled into a wide smile. "Of course, Draco. If that's what you think will make you happy, then that is what I will do. In fact," she added, leaning closer in a conspiratorial manner, "I have it on good authority that Astoria is going to be at the Royal Garden with her fiancé for dinner tonight. If you take me there with you, I'll figure out a way to get the two of you alone so you can talk."

Draco wasn't sure that he liked the slightly evil sparkle in Ginny's brown eyes, but he was desperate, and desperate people will do desperate things.

"Alright, Weasley, you've got yourself a deal," he said, holding out his hand to her.

"Excellent," Ginny exclaimed, taking his proffered hand to seal the deal. "Pick me up at eight, then?"

"Eight," Draco agreed, releasing her hand and standing up. "I hope you've got something nice in that moth-eaten wardrobe of yours. The Royal Garden won't let in riffraff."

"Don't worry, Draco, I won't embarrass you," Ginny said with a laugh, following him to his feet. "You just concern yourself with what you're going to say to Astoria – I'll deal with the rest."

"Right," Draco murmured, feeling suddenly nervous.

It had been months since he'd talked to the brunette. After their last heated encounter, Draco had sworn to himself that he'd never speak to her again, and he'd stubbornly stuck by that. Not that he'd had to try very hard; Astoria had told him after that same argument that she never wanted to _see_ him again, and had succeeded quite well in making this possible, leaving the room as soon as she saw him enter it.

_But not tonight_, Draco thought. _Tonight I'll make her listen. Tonight I'll make her see that she should be with me._

He smirked to himself. That midget Egbert didn't stand a chance.

**oOo**

Exactly on eight o' clock, Draco knocked at Ginny Weasley's door, dressed in his best black robes, with a charcoal grey suit underneath. He had taken great pains to do his hair nicely, and knew, without the slightest hint of bragging, that he looked damn good. Astoria would have to be blind not to notice how attractive he looked, and since he was wearing his lucky cologne, he had no doubt he would at least turn her head, if not her heart.

But if his red-haired counterpart didn't hurry up, there would be no turnings of anything.

Draco rapped loudly on the door. "Come on, Weasley. It can't take you that long to get ready. It's not like this is a da—"

The door opened, revealing an incredibly beautiful woman wearing a black dress that hugged her body in all the right places. Her red hair was pulled back in a loose bun, yet was styled neatly and elegantly, framing her face well. Brown eyes, veiled with dark lashes, and shaded with a hint of smoky grey, stared back at him innocently, and her full, very kissable lips puckered into a slight frown.

"What?" the beautiful creature demanded, patting nervously at her hair. "Is there something on my face?"

"No," Draco responded, pulling himself together, and sternly telling his mind that this was Ginny Weasley, evil incarnated, who he was gaping at. "There's nothing on your—I've just never seen you so dressed up before," he explained lamely.

Ginny laughed, her anxiousness melting away. "Oh, good. Well, shall we go, then?"

"Yeah, let's go," Draco said, still a little dazed.

He'd seen Ginny in just about every casual and formal situation (heck, he'd even seen her in her ugliest pyjamas), but he had never seen her look so visually stunning. It was difficult to swallow, and he was very conscious of her standing beside him, as well as the subtle floral scent of her perfume.

"So, Portkey or Apparation?" Ginny queried, resting a hand on her hip, and inevitably drawing Draco's eyes to the well-formed appendage.

Merlin, had she always been this fit?

"Uh, Apparation," Draco mumbled, forcing his eyes back to her face.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "You alright? You're acting a bit . . . strange."

"I'm fine." Draco cleared his throat. "Let's just go to this restaurant."

"Right-o," Ginny said cheerfully, taking his arm.

Draco had a brief moment where he felt her touch burn through the material of his sleeve, igniting his blood, and then they were outside the Royal Garden. She stepped back from him, releasing his arm. He suddenly felt cold and had the mad urge to pull her back close to him.

"Here we are," Ginny announced, then peered through the restaurant window. "I can see Astoria and Egbert. Excellent."

She walked up to the doors. Draco didn't even bother to glance through the window at his supposed love and her swain, too caught up with following the redhead with his eyes. He knew it was just Ginny – the crazy woman who had forced herself on him three months ago with declarations that they were going to become great chums, and who, despite his protestations, had refused to leave him alone since. However, at the same time this beautiful woman was _not_ Ginny. The red hair was there, the freckles were there, the same cheeky smile and twinkling brown eyes were there, but that body definitely had not been there, and he couldn't recall a time he had ever thought her particularly attractive. Sure, he'd known she was not ugly, but she'd never looked like this.

"Not like this at all," Draco murmured, following the gentle sway of her hips as if hypnotised.

Ginny paused and turned back to face him, one eyebrow lifted in surprise. "What are you doing, Draco? I thought you wanted to talk to Astoria."

Draco shook his head, refocusing on the matter at hand. "Right," he muttered. "Astoria."

Ginny laughed. "Yes, Draco – the woman you're supposed to be winning back from the gardener."

"Right," Draco repeated, glancing through the window at where he could see the back of Astoria's head.

Ginny's eyes twinkled in amusement, but she said nothing as Draco came to stand beside her. He let out a deep breath and then walked with Ginny through the doors to the restaurant. His eyes darted towards Astoria, though she was still looking the other way, and then the maître d' came towards them to direct them to their seats.

Ginny placed a hand on Draco's shoulder, smiling as she leaned up and murmured in his ear, "Astoria is looking this way; you should try to look happy."

"What?" Draco muttered, wrinkling his brow.

"Just smile, you fool," Ginny scolded, giving him a nudge to the ribs.

"Ouch," he hissed, rubbing the offended rib. "What did you do that for?"

Ginny sighed. "Honestly, Draco, don't you know anything? The only way to make Astoria notice you is to make it look as if you're having a good time with me. You've been so devoted to acting like the bitter ex-boyfriend that she hasn't had to worry about another woman coming along to steal your affections. She's been taking you for granted, but if she sees you paying attention to me, she'll feel threatened, see?"

"I don't know, Weasley," Draco began uncertainly, "I don't think that is going to wor—"

"Trust me, it will work," Ginny cut in. "Now smile, will you? You look like you've got a toothache, which is certainly _not_ going to be winning you _Witch Weekly's_ Most Charming Smile award any time soon, let alone Astoria's affections."

Draco couldn't help but laugh, which had the redhead grinning in turn.

"That's much better." She looked him up and down appraisingly. "You know, Draco, you should really laugh more often. You look much handsomer when you're happy than when you're scowling."

He blinked, taken aback by her blunt comment, but Ginny had already moved past him before he could say anything in response. Draco followed her to their table and sat down opposite her, staring at her a little warily. He knew she was often abrupt with him, and this certainly wasn't the first time she had commented on his looks, but there was something different about the way she had said it tonight. Or maybe it was just the fact he was more conscious of the fact that she was indeed a woman, and so took more notice of what she was saying.

_Why am I even thinking about Weasley?_ he thought irritably. _I came here to get Astoria back._

Draco stared over to where Astoria was sitting. Hazel met grey, and then Astoria flushed, embarrassed that she had been caught staring, and averted her face. The movement allowed him to see beyond her, giving him a clear view of the man she was dining with, who he assumed must be the infamous Egbert. The sandy-haired man did indeed look rather short in his seat (even while sitting down), and was just a little on the portly side. He was by no means ugly, but one couldn't say anything else about him either. His face was forgettable, with nothing distinguishing about him, and his sandy hair showed the beginnings of a receding hairline.

Draco was astonished. He knew that Ginny had called Astoria's fiancé plain, but he had never thought the man would be _this_ plain.

"What on earth can Astoria be thinking?' Draco muttered aloud, bewildered by the brunette's behaviour. "The man is a complete nobody."

How could she ever want to kiss, let alone marry that thing? He was like wallpaper, fading quietly into the background – especially beside her undeniable beauty.

Ginny turned her head, following his gaze to where the mismatched couple were dining. "Perhaps he has a very nice personality," she mused.

Draco scrunched up his face. "He looks _too_ nice."

"He probably is," Ginny agreed. "He's probably very boring too." She shrugged. "As I said, I don't know what Astoria sees in him. _I_ certainly wouldn't want to marry him."

Draco glanced at the redhead curiously. "Who would you want to marry?"

"Oh, I don't know," Ginny mumbled, staring down at her menu. "Someone more refined and . . . more like you, I guess."

"Like me?" Draco exclaimed with a laugh.

Ginny just shrugged, still intently staring at her menu. "This looks nice," she observed, promptly changing the subject. "I think I'll have the pasta dish for my dinner."

Draco glanced down at his own menu. "I suppose we should order."

The waiter, seeming to sense they were ready to choose their meals, was by their side in an instant. Draco and Ginny both ordered and then chatted about inconsequential things while waiting for their dinners to be brought to them, though the blond always kept an eye on Astoria. He was also drinking glasses of wine like they were water.

Ginny kicked him in the foot. "If you keep drinking like that, you're going to end up drunk."

"Please, Weasley," Draco said loftily, "a Malfoy can always hold his drink."

"Really? So why is it that every time you drink like this, you get reckless and stupid?"

"I do not get reckless and stupid."

Ginny merely raised an eyebrow.

Draco rolled his eyes and pushed his glass of wine away. "Fine. I won't drink any more. Happy?"

"I am, actually. I don't want to have to carry you home tonight."

"If I'm lucky, Weasley, you won't have to come home with me at all."

Ginny's expression tightened slightly, but she was smiling again in a second. "So have you figured out what you're going to say to Astoria?"

"Have you figured out how you're going to get us to talk?" he shot back.

"Of course. Once dear Egbert has finished his meal and fills up his glass of wine again, I'm going to go over there, knock it all over him because I'm so awfully clumsy, and then drag him off to the bathroom with many apologies and exclamations so I can remove it before it stains, leaving Astoria alone for you."

"He might just use a spell to remove it."

"He won't," Ginny said confidently.

Draco glanced back at Astoria. She was looking very beautiful tonight, in an elegant green dress that brought out the colour of her eyes, and her hair styled in loose curls. He began to feel nervous again and his hand instinctively went for his glass of wine. Ginny's fingers closed around his, pulling his hand firmly away from the alcohol.

"No more, Draco," she told him sternly.

He sighed and let his hand drop back to his side. Ginny smiled smugly, pleased that she had got him to do her bidding again, and then the waiter was back with their meals.

"Will you be having anything for dessert?" the waiter asked them.

"No thank you," Draco said politely.

"I'll have some of the Death to a Romance truffles, thanks," Ginny said, smiling brilliantly up at the waiter.

Draco's eyes narrowed on the redhead. "Do you really have to eat those things?"

"They're actually very nice," Ginny told him without the slightest trace of guilt or embarrassment. "Very dark and bitter, with just the slightest hint of spice. You should try one."

"I am not going to eat one of those stupid truffles," Draco said bluntly.

"Fine, but you're the one missing out."

Draco ignored her and began eating his food. Ginny grinned but said no more, and for a while the two were content to enjoy their meals, only talking occasionally – which was mostly just Draco muttering about Astoria and Egbert.

"Finally," Ginny exclaimed, after a few more minutes of this. "Alright, Draco, old Egbert has refilled his glass. I'm going in, so make sure you seize your chance."

She was out of her seat without a further word. He watched her walk towards Astoria and Egbert's table, her steps smooth and confident, and then, in a paradoxically graceful manner, she stumbled. Her hand flew out as she tried to steady herself, knocking over Egbert's glass, and smothering his robes in the dark red liquid. Even from where he was sitting, Draco could hear Ginny apologising with overbearing sincerity for being so clumsy, and insisting that he come with her so she could clean it up.

"I-it's fine," Egbert stammered, wiping at the spilt drink with his napkin. "I'll just use my—"

"Oh, no," Ginny exclaimed, practically pulling him up from his seat, "I insist you let me help you. I'm sure your date won't mind," she added, throwing a brilliant smile at Astoria, who smiled tightly back.

"Alright then," Egbert said with a sigh, allowing the redhead to steer him off to the back room.

Draco waited only a few seconds before he stood up and placed himself in Egbert's now vacant seat. Astoria jumped in alarm.

"Draco! What are you—"

"We have to talk, Astoria," Draco said in a rush, seizing her hands in his.

Her expression changed from surprised to annoyed. "You set this up, didn't you? I don't believe it." She gave a sharp laugh. "Actually, I can believe it. You never could let things go. Well, you're wasting your time. I meant what I said, Draco: I want nothing to do with you."

"Damn it, Astoria, I'm in love with you!" he said heatedly, ignoring the most of her speech.

Astoria wrenched her hands away from his. "Well, _I'm_ in love with Egbert."

"_Egbert_," Draco repeated, unable to help but give a scornful laugh.

The hazel eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare make fun of him, Draco."

"Oh, come on, Astoria, you can't be serious about that guy. He's a _gardener_ for Salazar's sake."

"I happen to like gardens," was the tart reply.

"But he's—"

"What?" she snapped. "Short, plain, balding? I know what you're thinking, Draco. You're thinking how could Astoria like a man like that – a man who is ugly and ordinary. But to me he is not ugly. To me he is wonderful, and caring, and I happen to like the fact that he works in a normal job and doesn't have to rely on his family name to feel important."

"But that's just—I mean—" Draco floundered for a moment and then scowled. "Damn it, Astoria, you can't actually tell me you'd rather marry that guy over me."

Astoria's pretty face twisted into a cold look. "Why? Because you're so handsome and rich? I told you I don't care about that, Draco. I _love_ Egbert. Nothing you say or do will make me change my mind. Now _please_ just go away. The last thing I want is to have him see us together."

"Worried he'll think you still want me?" he taunted with a smirk.

"If you must know, yes," she snapped, looking a bit frazzled. "He's never felt secure dating me because you were my ex, and it's been incredibly frustrating trying to break him from that."

"Well, perhaps he has reason to be worried. He is a charmless midget that works with plants."

Astoria's eyes flashed dangerously, and the next second Draco had a face full of wine.

"Leave," she said curtly, breasts heaving.

Draco realised he had lost this battle, but he couldn't just give up yet. "Astoria, wait," he pleaded.

"I said _leave_!" she hissed, glaring darkly at him.

"If you would just listen to me a minute—"

"No, Draco, I'm done with listening to you! You're vain and arrogant, and I can't _believe_ you thought you could just come here and sweep me off my feet when I'm already engaged to someone else."

"But if you would just—"

"_No_! I'm happy with Egbert. I love him, and I _am_ going to marry him, whatever you might think." Astoria met his gaze squarely, her eyes sparkling with angry tears. "Now please, just go away, Draco. Just go away and let me move on with my life. We're through – why can't you just accept that?"

"But I love you," he said helplessly.

"No you don't," she responded. "You're just so stubborn and prideful that you refuse to let go of me."

Draco stared down at his hands. "It was just a truffle, Astoria. Just a stupid truffle."

Astoria's expression softened slightly. "It wasn't about the truffle, Draco. It wasn't even about the fact you proposed to me on Valentine's Day. We just weren't meant to be, and it's time you accept that."

Draco let out a weary sigh and stood up. "Well, I suppose there's nothing further I can say. You're going to marry Egbert."

He made to walk away, when he felt a soft touch on his arm. He glanced down, meeting Astoria's warm, hazel eyes.

"Don't stay bitter for me, Draco. There are plenty of women out there who could make you happy – far happier than I ever could."

Draco said nothing and continued walking, intending to leave the restaurant when he suddenly remembered that Ginny was out the back and would certainly wonder what had happened to him if he just left. He sighed and sat down at his table, tiredly removing the wine Astoria had tossed at him with his wand. He didn't have to wait long for the redhead, for she soon appeared with Egbert, apologising one last time to the short wizard before joining Draco at the table. Astoria and Egbert, Draco noted, were already getting ready to leave the restaurant.

Ginny took one look at his face, then glanced to where Astoria and Egbert were paying for their meal. "I take it things didn't go well," she said quietly.

"Astoria doesn't love me," Draco muttered, staring at the table. "She says she's going to marry Egbert and that I need to move on and accept that we're never going to be together."

Ginny placed her hand over his. "I'm sorry, Draco. I really am. I know how much you cared about her."

"I don't know what I feel about her anymore," he admitted. "I thought I loved her, but—"

He trailed off, swallowing against his bitterness and hurt pride.

"Can I say something?" Ginny asked gently.

Draco glanced up at the redhead, then nodded.

"I think Astoria is right; you do need to move on. You've been clinging to your feelings for her for over a year now, and it has brought you nothing but unhappiness. I think it is time you accept that maybe she is not the woman for you."

Draco let out a heavy sigh. "I know, I just—"

"Really thought you loved her," Ginny said with a wry smile. "I know, Draco. Why do you think I wanted you to talk to her tonight?"

He stared at her a bit more suspiciously. "You mean you knew this was going to happen?"

"Well, I knew Astoria was very much in love with her gardening midget. I thought it might help you to move on if you saw that she was happy with someone else."

"I don't believe this! You've been tricking me this whole time, saying you wanted to make me happy, and—"

"I _do_ want to make you happy," Ginny said earnestly, clutching his hand tightly in hers. "But getting back with Astoria was never going to do that for you. She's in love with someone else, and the sooner you accept that, the better it will be for you."

"Now you're sounding like Astoria," he muttered, looking the other way.

Ginny turned his face back towards hers, meeting his eyes with a sad smile. "I'm sorry things didn't work out the way you wanted them to go, Draco. I really am. But pining after Astoria was getting you nowhere. I knew if you could just move on from her that you would be happy again – that you would be able to fall in love with someone who really cares about you."

He scowled. "Oh yeah, and who do you have in mind?"

She laughed a little self-consciously. "I would have thought that was obvious."

Draco noticed the pink spots on her cheeks and easily put two and two together. He straightened in his chair, staring at her in a completely new light.

"Merlin's beard," he murmured. "You _like_ me."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Well, it took you long enough to figure it out."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because you were still mooning over Astoria," she said bluntly. "And it wasn't like I didn't give you enough hints. You can be so dense sometimes, Draco."

Draco was too busy trying to process this new information to take offence. Ginny Weasley liked him. She _liked_ him. It all made sense now: her persistent desire to spend time with him, the weird comments she frequently made about his romantic life and appearance. It all stemmed from that one simple truth: she liked him.

"You don't have to keep staring at me like that," Ginny snapped, looking a bit uncomfortable. "I realise it's probably not what you were wanting. I mean, who am I compared to Astoria Greengrass, right?"

Draco stared at the redhead – the beautiful, funny, caring, unforgettable redhead – except this time he really looked at her, seeing not just her looks, but all that made her Ginny Weasley. Draco realised that he liked what he saw.

Someone cleared their throat, and both the blond and redhead glanced up to see the waiter holding a plate of truffles out to Ginny.

"Your dessert, Miss," the waiter said, placing the plate down in front of her.

"Thank you," Ginny said, nodding her head in dismissal to him.

Draco stared at the collection of truffles. He picked up one of the chocolate balls and bit into it, tasting the dark bitterness of the chocolate, mixed with the subtle hint of spices. This was the taste of Death to a Romance, the taste of everything that meant the end of his relationship with Astoria.

He met Ginny's curious stare, and a slow smile curled his lips.

Yes, it was the death to his romance with Astoria, but it was not the death to romance.

"So, Weasley," Draco said after a moment, "do you think it would be awfully cliché of me to ask you out on Valentine's Day?"


End file.
